Water

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 24, 2015

Fiftieth anniversary of New York's 1965 decision to fluoridate New York City's water supply highlights history of public health debate that is still being carried out in some areas of country. MORE

Feb. 23, 2015

SodaStream, maker of carbonation canisters, has introduced new line of fruit flavorings to add to water carbonated using its machines; sales of its products have fallen since 2013, despite overall rising sales of water. MORE

Feb. 17, 2015

Residents of Sao Paulo, Brazil, face unprecedented water crisis as city's reservoir system nears depletion due to drought; will likely have to submit to water rationing, and could even be asked to flee city due to shortage; crisis has been worsened by pollution, deforestation, population growth and lack of political will, despite fact that Brazil is one of world's most water-rich nations. MORE

Feb. 13, 2015

Pakistan's water supply is being depleted at alarming rate due to climate change and local waste and mismanagement, adding to country's resource crises. MORE

Feb. 10, 2015

California oil and gas regulators release proposal sent to Environmental Protection Agency that would change how state protects underground water from oil and gas operations; proposal was crafted after state and federal review found 2,500 instances of state authorizing such operations in protected water aquifers. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Sao Paulo, Brazil, may institute stringent water use policy as last-ditch effort to prevent collapse of Cantareira reservoir water system; reservoir has been reduced to 5.1 percent of its 264 billion capacity due to drought. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

End to the century-old Owens Valley water wars with Los Angeles appears at hand, with engineers beginning to till 50 square miles of lake bed north of city, instead of flooding it with city water to control dust clouds in valley; Los Angeles is finally accepting responsibility, after years of filing lawsuits against basin saying damage was not city's fault for taking water. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

Science Q&A explains how ornamental water fountains worked before electricity. MORE

Dec. 28, 2014

Almond farmers in California relying on water from federally controlled project to grow their crops are being threatened as state implements new controls on groundwater in effort to help salmon species survive during current drought. MORE

Dec. 20, 2014

Op-Ed article by Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole holds poll showing that 33 percent of Irish citizens will refuse to pay for domestic water is manifestation of long-simmering resentment toward country's austerity policies; says that while austerity seems on surface to have been working to revive Ireland's economy, many residents resent becoming indebted nation in order to rescue international bondholders and Irish acceptance of austerity could only last so long. MORE

Dec. 18, 2014

Arizona, California and Nevada, in face of 14-year drought in Colorado River basin, sign agreement to add up to three million acre-feet of water to Lake Mead by 2020 from conservation and water management; lake, Colorado River reservoir, is water source for much of Southwest. MORE

Dec. 11, 2014

Study published in journal Science analyzes data from European Space Agency mission that traveled to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko; concludes water in Earth’s oceans probably did not come from melted comets, settling long-held debate; scientists shift their focus to asteroids as more likely source. MORE

Dec. 7, 2014

Op-Ed article by author Jacques Leslie describes how Los Angeles has become a leader in sustainable water management and has become particularly successful in conservation; laments much of America views Los Angeles as a water archvillain, when in fact the opposite is true. MORE

Nov. 30, 2014

Residents of wealthy California district encompassing Rancho Santa Fe are using more water than those in any other part of state, three years into severe drought; water managers are pushing area residents to cut back on water use and share burden that has so far been shouldered largely by poorer parts of state. MORE

Nov. 25, 2014

Appraisal column on trouble encountered by real estate broker Alexander Peters in effort to sell eight acres of land he owns in Amagansett, LI, to Town of East Hampton; sale would prevent any future development of land, which sits on a pristine aquifer, protecting local water supply; descendants of original owner, however, have first right of refusal should land be sold again, and have moved to exercise right and block sale. MORE

Nov. 20, 2014

David W Dunlap Building Blocks column examines effort in Orange County, NY, to drill two massive holes and 2.5 mile connecting tunnel beneath Hudson River; notes that new pipeline will bypass leaky section of the Delaware Aqueduct, which provides roughly half of New York City's daily water supply; describes visit to project site in Newburgh, NY, where workers have reached depth of 350 feet so far. MORE

Nov. 14, 2014

New York State Public Service Commission orders United Water New York, which provides water to most of Rockland County, to drop plans for desalination plant on Hudson River, urging company to explore conservation methods and locate other water sources instead. MORE

Nov. 13, 2014

Residents of Rockland County, NY, are outraged by plan to spend $150 million to construct desalination plant on lower Hudson River, with 26,000 people signing petition to block it; argue that plant is unnecessary, and would be located precariously close to the Indian Point nuclear power plant. MORE

Oct. 26, 2014

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column examines cooperation by Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian environmentalists to avert water crisis in region; argues that such recognition of interdependency represents best path forward for their respective governments as well, saying they should break from belligerent status quo that dooms all of them to failure. MORE

Oct. 15, 2014

Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column contends that price consumers pay for water rarely reflects true costs or scarcity; points out that farmers consume 80 percent of nation's water for virtually free; says higher prices are essential to induce conservation and investment in water-saving technology and to steer water to where it is valued most. MORE

Oct. 8, 2014

California officials report the largest monthly decline in water use in 2014, with consumption falling 11.5 percent in August compared with the year before. MORE

Oct. 8, 2014

Many sports teams and stadium operators in drought-ridden parts of the country are searching for new ways to reduce water consumption by sports venues to help lower their costs and raise their public images. MORE

Oct. 3, 2014

Life in rural community of Porterville in Tulare County, California, has been completely upended by drying of wells due to state's record-breaking drought, now in its third year; nowhere in state is situation more dire than in the county, where state officials say that at least 700 households have no access to running water. MORE

Sep. 20, 2014

Detroit City Council approves the creation of a regional water authority, pushing forward an integral part of the city’s plan to exit bankruptcy. MORE

Sep. 14, 2014

Op-Ed article by psychiatrist Anna Fels highlights growing body of evidence that suggests small quantities of lithium in drinking water could be beneficial for overall mental health of populations; calls for further research into effects of lithium, particularly in light of studies that have shown that suicide seems to be less common where lithium is more plentiful in drinking water. MORE

Sep. 1, 2014

California Gov Jerry Brown is expected to sign measures making drought-plagued California the last Southwestern state to establish groundwater controls; sweeping legislation does not eliminate private ownership, but establishes framework for managing groundwater withdrawals through local agencies; new legal framework also requires that state step in if local authorities fail to manage their aquifers in a sustainable manner. MORE

Aug. 27, 2014

Rawabi, newly-constructed Palestinian city in the West Bank, remains empty of inhabitants more than a year after its first 600 apartments were sold; widely-heralded development project is stymied as it awaits approval from Israel to connect to a nearby water main, turning symbol of entrepreneurship into a cautionary tale about investing in the Israeli-occupied region. MORE

Aug. 27, 2014

Bankrupt Detroit resumes shutting off water to people who have not paid bills after a monthlong suspension that followed international and local criticism that the practice was unduly harsh. MORE

Aug. 10, 2014

Businesses on California's Catalina Island have spent more than $40 million updating quaint town of Avalon and reviving tourism, but island is quickly running out of water; with island's reservoir approaching record low, businesses and homes will be required to cut water use by 25 percent. MORE

Aug. 8, 2014

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, facing international criticism for water shut-offs aimed at resolving millions of dollars' worth of unpaid bills, says city will offer consistent payment plans and financial assistance to many delinquent customers. MORE

Jul. 24, 2014

David W Dunlap Building Blocks column welcomes developments to long-delayed project to bring Croton water back into New York City; notes that replacement of two huge bronze valves in network of pipes near Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx for water filtration plant is quiet milestone; Croton water once accounted for roughly 10 percent of 1.1 billion gallons consumed daily but was shut off in 2008 while $3.2 billion plant is being built. MORE

Jul. 19, 2014

At least 300 demonstrators march through downtown Detroit protesting move by city's Water and Sewage Dept to force tens of thousands of delinquent customers to pay up or face cutoff in service. MORE

Jul. 16, 2014

California officials approve most drastic measures yet to reduce water consumption during state’s increasingly serious drought, including fines of up to $500 per day under some circumstances for watering a garden, washing a car or hosing down a sidewalk. MORE

Jul. 15, 2014

Authorities in Arizona are eager to get rid of the tamarisk trees, which are not native to the state and which they say suck too much water; they welcome the tamarisk beetle, the tree's natural predator, which were released in Colorado about a decade ago and have traveled now to Arizona; scientists say removing the trees will not produce more water, and warn that birds living in them will be harmed; plus, once the beetles are done eating tamarisk leaves, they are likely to feed on other trees. MORE

Jul. 15, 2014

Dr Nilton O Renno study in journal Geophysical Research Letters suggests that small globules in pictures taken by Mars lander Phoenix could be water and that small amounts of water could be still be forming on Mars. MORE

Jul. 10, 2014

Editorial warns that strong water conservation measures are needed in California in order to help state avoid severe shortages; notes that Los Angeles has recorded lowest rainfall for two consecutive years and that climate change is likely to worsen situation; says 70 percent of water districts still have not imposed reasonable mandatory restrictions, and calls for state and local officials to act with greater urgency. MORE

Jul. 8, 2014

Kern River oil field in California is one of the nation's largest, but for every barrel of oil extracted by its owner Chevron, about 10 barrels of water are produced and then sold to local water district that distributes it to farmers; it is one of the more unusual sources of water, one whose importance has increased in a year when drought has forced farmers to fallow acres of land. MORE

Jul. 6, 2014

Chuck Klosterman The Ethicist column answers questions on sharing potable water, correcting military record of dead soldier who was awarded a medal for his service posthumously and discouraging one's children from having children due to population concerns. MORE

Jul. 5, 2014

Californians have cut their water consumption only 5 percent in five months compared with recent years since a drought emergency was declared; cities, faced with apparent indifference to stern warnings from state leaders and media alarms, have encouraged residents to tattle on their neighbors for wasting water--and residents have responded in droves. MORE

Jul. 5, 2014

Porcine epidemic diarrhea, deadly virus known as PEDv, is wreaking havoc on pork industry, with an estimated 100,000 piglets and young hogs killed since virus first showed up in Iowa in May 2013; fatality numbers are so staggering that environmentalists have grown worried about effects of state laws requiring burial of so many carcasses, and what that will do to groundwater. MORE

Jul. 4, 2014

Op-Ed article by journalist and editor Anna Clark describes how many residents of Detroit lack access to water because city's water department is conducting aggressive shut-off campaign to get more than 90,000 customers to pay past-due bills; contends water department should target delinquent commercial customers first, as cutting water to homes raises risk of public health crisis. MORE

Jun. 29, 2014

Water levels in the Great Lakes, after reaching historic lows in 2013, are abruptly on the rise; scientists attribute resurgence of levels to an unusually cold winter that limited evaporation as well as heavy precipitation in the winter and spring; development has startled scientists and thrilled lakeshore residents and business owners. MORE

Jun. 26, 2014

Plan by New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo and agency building new Tappan Zee Bridge to borrow half-billion dollars provided under federal Clean Water Act comes under fire after nine environmental and transportation groups argue money will be improperly spent on basic construction, rather than improving water quality. MORE

Jun. 25, 2014

Editorial criticizes proposal that would reroute money used to ensure clean waterways in New York State to defray costs of new Tappan Zee Bridge; maintains Environmental Facilities Corporation board members should first hear from the public, legislators and the Environmental Protection Agency before adopting proposal; warns New York will need billions of dollars in new wastewater and sewage infrastructure in next 20 years. MORE

Jun. 18, 2014

Arizona could be forced to cut water deliveries to its two largest cities unless states that tap the dwindling Colorado River find ways to reduce water consumption and deal with a crippling drought; warning comes as federal Bureau of Reclamation forecasts that Lake Mead, Colorado River reservoir that is the network’s sole water source, is poised to fall to a level not seen since the lake was first filled in 1938. MORE

Jun. 18, 2014

Jim Dwyer About New York column; many New Yorkers have fond memories of playing in the city's water sprinklers, perhaps more ubiquitous in New York than in any other city; they are often gussied up in fanciful designs: sea turtle, a ship, even a subway token; city's parks have more than 750 sprinklers, which are part of city's physical and psychic fabric. MORE

Jun. 17, 2014

Analysis of seismic waves passing through deep earth, conducted by Dr Brandon Schmandt and published in journal Science, confirms that ocean of water is tied up in mantle, 400 miles below surface; water is not liquid, but bound in minerals that exist at extreme pressures at such depths; study supports idea that water was formed in earth's core and reached surface later. MORE

Jun. 7, 2014

Unicef officials report supply of safe water in Syria is now one-third of level it was before March 2011 when civil war began, and warn of new levels of suffering because of worsening regional drought. MORE

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February 13, 2015, Friday

The state is proposing broad changes in the way it protects underground water from oil and gas operations, after finding 2,500 instances in which the state authorized such operations in protected water aquifers.